And this goes for the $10 purchase by consumers to million dollar buys for B2Bs.

So what are companies supposed to do now to get results from marketing and sales?

Inbound marketing steps in to fill the gap that old marketing tactics are failing. Here’s why.

Marketing is the new sales!

In the past, salespeople held all the cards. If you wanted information about a product or service, consumers had to talk to a salesperson.

Today, that’s no longer the case. It’s MARKETING that walks people through the majority of the sales process.

Consumers go online to find your website, see what you have to offer and work their way through the awareness and consideration stages. If they don’t like what they see, goodbye! And they move onto the next company.

When consumers get to the very end of the sales funnel, only then are they ready to talk to a salesperson. Prior to that, they want to communicate via social media, emails or text messages.

Think about that: Your marketing will have to account for about three-quarters of the buyer’s journey through the sales funnel, taking over many of the tasks your salespeople used to handle. Sales should enter the picture for the last quarter, taking over at that point to answer very specific buyer questions.

If you don’t adapt to the way consumers are buying, your company will not grow.

People buy based on emotion

Wouldn’t it be nice if consumers would buy based on cold, hard facts?

Here’s the problem:

They make buying decision based solely on good ol’ emotions. In addition, consumers don’t want to change and they’ll avoid it at all costs.

Your marketing has to appeal to these emotions. The messaging must make prospects feel safe. While they are trying their best not to buy your product, your marketing is slowly persuading them that you are the best solution to their problems and needs.

Two more problems:

And if you do just one thing, stop pressuring your prospects. They don’t like it, and it’ll turn them off quicker than you can say “Lost lead.”

Prospects also don’t want to depend on your salespeople for anything. So if you’re still trying to hold your marketing and sales cards close to your chest, you won’t attract real leads anytime soon.

Inbound marketing, on the other hand, appeals to today’s buyer’s sensibilities. It gently guides prospects through a non-pressurized environment where they can make choices about what to read, where to comparison shop, and eventually, start to feel confident that you are the safe choice.

Once they connect with you emotionally, the deal’s pretty much done.

Tripping over dollars to save pennies

Inbound marketing is where the real revenue potential lies.

If you’re tripping over dollars trying to save a few pennies, you’ve got to change your mindset.

Marketing is a necessity, an investment – not a cost. It’s more like an investment in long-term results and success, instead of “buying ads.”

You’ll need to make significant investments in technologies that will help sustain your business. Automation tools, reporting software, a CRM and more will free up your time to focus on strategy that gets results.

In it for the long haul

It’s difficult for businesses to shift gears and think long-term results. If you’ve been steadily losing leads and you’re in trouble, inbound marketing won’t be the quick fix you desire. Sure, you can get some good results in the first quarter if certain variables are in place (like website traffic and marketing assets).

But inbound is really like a marketing machine that needs all of the pieces working together to really drive results. It’s a long-term investment that will help your business kill it within a year, and completely change the trajectory of your business.

It’s like a snowball that will just keep getting bigger as it gains more and more momentum.

What are you waiting for? If your business is in trouble, inbound marketing is the way to go.

If you know the market has changed but you aren’t yet feeling its effect, you can get ahead of the game by being proactive.